From the Ground Up
by farons
Summary: Link wasn’t “popular”. Zelda was. But, of course, that didn’t stop Link from falling in love with her anyway. BotW Modern AU
1. Introduction

**A/N: hey guys! It's me, Vixen, and I'm back. I decided to put all my other stories on hiatus since I've been going through a WRITERS BLOCK. But, now that I'm here, I'd like to say I recently became addicted to the Legend of Zelda (specifically Breath of the Wild), AND IVE BECOME ADDICTED TO THE ZELINK SHIP OOPS. SO, anyway, I wanted to write a story based around it, in the modern AU because why not. I hope you guys like this because I've had this idea for a long time now and I've been kind of developing the story in my head. As always, whining and complaints can be found at the bottom of the page. I'm actually as annoying as a Yiga Clan pretending to be a traveler so let's gooooo...**

 _Chapter I: Introduction_

Link definitely was not "popular". He definitely was not the kind of guy that girls were after, much less _popular_ girls, but that didn't stop him from developing a crush on one of the _most_ popular girls, Zelda Bosphoramus. He'd secretly held a crush on her since she'd first spoken to him. Of course, she'd _only_ spoken to him once, when she'd accidentally knocked him over in the hallway. She'd said a quick 'sorry' and been on her way, but Link had never forgotten.

Link stared at her as she walked past, giggling happily at something one of her friends said. He followed her beautiful gaze with his own, hoping she might at least _notice_ him. But, as usual, she didn't. Link sighed sadly as the final bell rang. He began the 15-minute walk to school, alone, as usual. No one who lived near him ever wanted to walk with him, since he never really talked to anyone. He was used to it, of course, but it still hurt sometimes.

"Hi," came a voice from behind him. It was a girl's voice. _Zelda's_ voice. "Can I walk with you?"

"S-sure..." Link wasn't used to talking to girls, especially not ones as popular as Zelda was. He could feel his face burning to the tips of his ears, and he desperately hoped Zelda wouldn't notice.

She smiled. "I'm Zelda, but I guess you probably already knew that."

"Y-yeah," Link said. "I'm... Link. Why are you talking to me though? You're so... popular, and I'm not, and-"

She shrugged. "Who cares?"

Link stared at her in disbelief. "It's just..."

Zelda looked hurt. "What?" she asked, her tone slightly annoyed.

"Nothing. Never mind. I'm glad you're here."

Zelda smiled. "Here's my house. Bye." she waved at Link. Link waved back absentmindedly. He simply couldn't believe that a girl as popular and, well, _gorgeous_ as Zelda would have a conversation with him, outside of his dreams. He walked the remaining five minutes back to his house overcome with joy that maybe, just maybe, he had a chance at even a friendship with this girl.

 **A/N: sorry this was a short chapter but it's all the information needed for this one, the next one will be on Zelda basically what happened after she decided to walk home with Link. BUT, we know Link's got a crush on Zelda AND IM. SO. EXCITED. BECAUSE ZELINK IS SO CUTEEEE OKAY. But anyway, please review and tell me what you think!- Vixen, the master of disappearing tricks**


	2. Princess

**A/N: GUYS GUYS I GOT MY FIRST REVIEW. Thank you so much Arcmelos for the review and I want to tell you that I can agree with the fact that there aren't many modern AU BotW stories so that's why I wrote this one, also because this idea wouldn't leave me alone. ANYYYYYYYYWAY, lets just get on to the story. Complaints and whining will be found at the bottom of the page, as usual, though I doubt there'll be many today.**

 _Chapter II: Princess_

Zelda did not like being popular. She did not like the fact that boys followed her around like paparazzi or that girls always came to her for gossip. She _especially_ did not like the fact that people traeated her like she was perfect, which was mainly why she'd tried to become friends with the boy who walked home from school alone. He had never followed her around like a stalker.

Zelda sighed and closed the door of her study. She collapsed onto her bed and stared at the ceiling for a moment before picking up her phone and texting Makeela Riju. Makeela was a Gerudo girl who Zelda had met when she went to Gerudo as an exchange student for six months. Makeela was part of the host family she'd been living with in that time, and she'd been kind to her. She'd taken Zelda all around Gerudo City. They'd gone seal surfing between Gerudo City and the Kara Kara Bazaar, and sometimes even as far as the Gerudo Canyon stable and the old Yiga Clan hideout. Near the end of Zelda's trip, they exchanged phone numbers, and Zelda still considered Makeela one of her best friends.

When it was clear Zelda wasn't going to get an answer from the Gerudo anytime soon, she sighed and exited her study.

"I'm going riding," she announced to no one in particular. No was there, anyway. It was just her. Zelda went out to the horse stalls outside her house and opened the door to the stall of a pure white horse. Zelda had been gifted the horse for her fourteenth birthday, which was a little over a year ago. She was fifteen now, and a more experienced rider.

"Hi, Demeter!" She rubbed her horse's mane. "We're going for a ride!" She strapped Demeter's saddle on and mounted her. She decided to go her usual route, down to Central Park Stable. As she made her way over, she noticed the many races that made their home in Castle Town. A little Rito girl flew down from the top of a small tree to a group of equally as small Rito children. Two Zora teens laughed and talked by the river. A Gerudo girl was walking with a Hylian boy. A few Goron children had now begun chasing the Rito kids, who were squealing and flapping their small wings in an attempt to escape. Zelda laughed to herself.

"Hello, I'd like to board my horse, Demeter," she said to the man running the stable. He nodded to a Hylian girl, who grabbed Demeter's reins and led her over to a stall next to two other horses. Zelda walked into the main park, which was centered around the ancient Great Plateau Tower.

Zelda never went there for anything in particular, but today she was hoping to see the boy she'd talked to on her way home. She searched the park for him until it was clear he wasn't there. Zelda sighed. Why _had_ she wanted to see him anyway? Were they even friends?

 _No, Zelda,_ she told herself. _Friendships take time._ Zelda sat on the bench in front of the small pond that held the ancient Oman Au Shrine, known as the Magnesis Trial by the ancient Hero of Time.

" _ZELDA?"_ The voice came from behind her. Zelda turned and, standing behind her, was Makeela Riju.

 **A/N: HAH! HAH! CLIFFHANGER! Now y'all know how _I_ feel. First of all, YES, I'm using Riju's first name (of it even is her first name) rather than simply Riju, because I like Makeela better. But anyway, Zelda wanted to see Link, but she didn't, and Link wants to be friends with Zelda, and I guess Zelda wants to be his friend too. Then, Link won't admit it but he wants to be _more_ than friends with Zelda. Okay. See you next chapter- Vixen, the QUEEN OF CLIFFHANGERS**


	3. Knight

**A/N: WHOA WHOA WHOA GUYS IM SO GOOD. IM FEELING SO INSPIRED TODAY. SO. LETS GOOO. Also, I'd like to thank Arcmelos again for the review. I'm still debating whether I'll add Ganon in later, but thank you!**

 _Chapter III: Knight_

Zelda hadn't left Link's mind since they'd walked home together earlier that day. No matter what he did to try to divert his attention from her, everything proved worthless. A part of him wished he and Zelda could grow closer, but another part of him wished she'd never walked with him at all, so he could continue admiring her from afar.

"Zelda..." he whispered. "Why do you do this to me?" He wished he wasn't so desperately in love with her, but some things just couldn't be changed. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but it was foolish to think she would feel the same.

Link shook his head. There was no use wasting time thinking about wishes that would never come true. He got up and stepped outside to clear his head, as he'd done multiple times that day. It never worked, of course. He decided he'd take a walk down the Beaten Path to Central Park, instead of walking along the street as he usually did.

No sooner had he reached Central Park did he see Zelda. She was hugging a Gerudo girl who looked to be about their age. He'd been hoping to speak to Zelda, but he clearly couldn't, not now that she was with a friend. Sadly, he turned away from Central Park, heading in the direction of Lake Hylia. There was a park there, too, which was centered around Lake Tower.

Link had learned about the ancient towers that sprung up from the ground many years ago, in the time of something call the Great Calamity. He'd only seen three so far; Great Plateau Tower, which was in Central Park, Lake Tower, which was next to Lake Hylia, and Faron Tower, which was in the jungle region of Faron.

The walk to Lake Hylia wasn't long, though he wished he had his horse, Epona, with him. As soon as he saw the Bridge Of Hylia, he began running. For some inexplainable reason, he always hoped to see Farosh, one of the three great dragons of ancient Hyrule. Farosh had been asleep for many years now, but Link always held on to the hope of seeing the ancient dragon for himself.

He crossed the Bridge of Hylia slowly, gazing into the lake below him. The Zora River emptied into it, flowing gracefully. From here on the bridge he could see Hylia Island, and inside, the ancient Ya Naga Shrine. Across the bridge, he saw Lake Tower and Lake Hylia Park Stable.

Link always forgot how beautiful Lake Hylia was. He didn't come here as often as he went to Central Park, since Lake Hylia was farther away, but he didn't regret it.

He paused at the middle of the bridge and looked up at the statue. The statue had been built many years ago, in honor of the ancient Hero of Time. It depicted the Hero, holding the Master Sword, his legendary blade. According to the legend, the blade was still hidden somewhere in Hyrule, in place called the Lost Woods, but few dared go there. It was ridden with a heavy fog, and one could easily get lost forever if they strayed off the lantern path.

Underneath the Hero's statue was an even more ancient statue. It was of the Goddess Hylia. No one knew who had put it there, or why in this particular spot, and no one really investigated. Link, however, lingered a moment, staring at the statue, hoping to decode her solemn face. It betrayed nothing.

Link continued on his way, passing a group of Gerudo who were eyeing him curiously. There attention was, a moment later, diverted to a Zora girl who dove off the edge of the bridge, into the lake. Link chuckled to himself.

Another Zora girl was now standing beside him, dripping wet. Link guessed that she'd probably jumped into the lake earlier.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Mipha."

"I'm Link." He looked at the girl. She was a red Zora, and she had a golden headdress doyttedwith sapphire jewels adorning her head. She was wearing a blue cloth around her like a sash, which was also held together by a sapphire pin.

"Are you a Hylian?" she asked. Link nodded.

"I've never met one before," she continued. "I've never actually been out this far. My dad's pretty overprotective, and he usually won't let us go past the Bank of Wishes and Upland Zorana. I'm here for a fishing tournament with my younger brother, Sidon."

"I've never been to Zorana," Link told her. "What's it like?"

"Wet!" She laughed. "Us Zora are children of the water. Years ago, in the time of the Great Calamity, the Divine Beast Vah Ruta was _active_ , and it caused the Zora River to swell and the reservoir to overflow. There was so much rain, and that's why the ancient Zora chose Lanayru to build their domain."

Link smiled. "How long will you be here?" he asked her.

"Well the tournament is about a week," Mipha explained. "But I'll probably stay a few more days after. Well, I have to go–the tournament's starting soon. I'll see you around." She waved. Link waved back. He couldn't believe it. He had made a friend.

 **Sooo, I liked that chapter, I tried to make it longer but I really liked this so here you go! So it looks like Link is kinda desperately in love with Zelda. Also, I changed a few things from the original BotW game:**

 **-In addition to all the original stables, there's now stables near every tower since there's a park there too (e.g. Great Plateau Tower/Central Park/Central Park Stable, Lake Tower/Lake Hylia Park/Lake Hylia Park Stable, Faron Tower/Horse God Park/Horse God Park Stable)**

 **-Link does have Epona, who isn't _officially_ in BotW but I didn't really wanna come with another name for a horse since Demeter was hard enough to come up with**

 **-I put a Goddess statue and a statue for the Hero of Time in the middle of the Bridge of Hylia because I thought it would look nice there**

 **THATS ALL- Vixen, who has a hard time keeping to the storyline**


	4. Desert Princess

**A/N: HEY GUYS. ITS ME. ITS VIXEN. HI. OKAY. I DONT. KNOW. WHAT. TO WRITE. FOR THIS. AUTHORS. NOTE. SO. IM JUST. GONNA WRITE. THE CHAPTER. BYE. NOW.**

 _Chapter IV: Desert Princess_

"MAKEELA!" Zelda shrieked, burying her face into her friend's shoulder. Tears of happiness streamed down her face. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm an exchange!" Makeela replied excitedly.

" _NO WAY!"_ Zelda screeched. "For how long?"

"Six months," Makeela replied. "I'm being hosted by another Gerudo who lives here, in Castle Town. You might know her; her name is Urbosa."

Zelda had definitely heard of Urbosa. She was popular among the residents of Castle Town. She had been in Zelda's school a few years ago, but since she was eighteen now, she no longer was.

Zelda nodded to Makeela. "Yes, I've heard of her."

Makeela smiled. "This place is so... new!" she exclaimed. Zelda smiled.

"Do you like it?" Zelda looked at Makeela expectantly. Makeela looked as if she would burst.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "I love this place!"

"I'm glad." Zelda smiled.

"I have to go unpack," Makeela told her sadly. "I wanted to see you first though. Text me if you want to meet up again tomorrow."

Zelda waved at her friend. "Bye, Makeela!"

"Bye, Zel!" As Makeela disappeared into the busy park, Zelda noticed for the first time that the sun was going down. She realized she'd better get home soon, otherwise her father would worry. She crossed the park and stepped up to the counter of the stable.

"I'd like to take Demeter, please."

"Alright. Thank you for leaving her in our care." A moment later, a woman appeared around the corner with Demeter.

"Thank you." Zelda mounted her horse and set off on the Beaten Path back to her house. Zelda's house was quite large, considering her father worked for the Council, the government that ran Hyrule. It's exterior was a pale blue in color, and it somewhat resembled Hyrule Castle, which, of course, no longer existed.

Zelda threw open the door, not surprised to be greeted by silence. Her father often worked long hours, and she had no siblings. Zelda sighed, wishing she'd been able to host Makeela for her stay. She wished her best friend didn't live miles and miles away, and that she'd be able to see her more often. It wasn't like she had no other friends–she had Lana, her other best friend who she'd known since kindergarten, and Aryll, a girl she'd met recently–but it still would be nice to have Makeela closer.

Why had she even come home? Her father wouldn't _worry_. He wouldn't even know she'd still be _out_. Zelda sighed again, this time debating whether she should go back to Central Park, not wanting to bother the man at the stable again to board Demeter–and then she remembered Link. She could go to his house–he didn't live too far.

Zelda ran down the street leading to his house, not stopping until she got there. She raised her fist and, without hesitation, knocked on the door.

 **A/N: GUYS OKAY I WAS GONNA KEEP WRITING THIS CHAPTER BUT THEN I WAS LIKE NO LETS LEAVE THEM IN A CLIFFHANGER BECAUSE IM MEANNNN. Anyways, DONT FORGET TO FAVORITE AND FOLLOW AND REVIEW. BYE- Vixen, who needs to clearly state her name at the end of each story**


	5. Surprise

**A/N: HI MY GUYS. OKAY. IM SORRY THAT I YELL IN EVERY AUTHORS NOTE BUT I LOVE YELLING. Also guys I just wanted to let you know that my friend helps me with this story and gives me some plot ideas so definitely a huge shoutout to her. Also, I want to answer some reviews:**

 **Arcmelos: thank you!**

 **James Birdsong (guest): thank you!**

 **Guest: thank you, and yeah I'm terrible at writing long chapters haha, also I know, I should've specified that the statue is older and from a different incarnation, I did change some things from the orginal game BotW**

 **Cliffhanger guy (guest): haha, I'm sorryyy**

 **Frost (guest): IM SO SORRY. I KNOW. IM TERRIBLE. But thank you so much, I'm glad people are enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. And, now that you mention it, I have decided that I'm going to leave Ganon out of this I don't think he'll fit in the storyline.**

 **Also guys I'm still trying to figure out update times so for now it'll still just be irregular updates but I WILL have a schedule figured out soon. I'm also working on another story that currently only has one chapter, it's a Hunger Games story called Heart of Steel, it's on hiatus but I plan on continuing it soon. As for all my other stories, I'm debating whether to delete them or keep on them on my page, though I don't plan on continuing them. CURRENTLY the only other story I'm writing is Heart of Steel. Thank you!**

 _Chapter V: Surprise_

Link stared into the river where the red Zora had plunged into the calm blue water.

"Good luck!" He shouted after her, though he doubted she could hear him. Link scanned the river in an attempt to see where the tournament was being held. His eyes stopped at Hylia Island. On the bank of the island, five contestants from each race stood. Most of the Hylains competing were from Lurelin City, Hyrule's top trade center for seafood, though he recognized one Hylian that went to his school. Both the Rito and the Goron contestants looked uncomfortable, and Link doubted they'd make it far in the competition considering neither race was fit for the water. The Gerudo, on the other hand, simply looked bored, and were eyeing the Zora curiously. Link assumed they'd never seen Zora in person, considering the Gerudo Desert's scorching climate must not be good for their water-built bodies.

He saw Mipha, who was talking to another red Zora. He looked younger than her–Link guessed it was her brother, Sidon, who she'd mentioned earlier. The coach, who Link guessed was from Lurelin, shouted something, and all the contestants plunged into the water. He saw the Goron and Rito immediately swim for the raft, while the Zora expertly cut through the water with grace and skill.

Link turned away from the competition. Glancing at Lake Tower on the other side of the bridge, he decided he'd rather go back home, and began the route back to his house in Castle Town. He wondered if his sister would be home yet. Maybe he could ask her about Zelda. She _was_ friends with her, after all. Maybe she'd know how to help.

The sun was dipping beneath the trees by the time Link could see his house nearby. There was a figure in front of the door, the seemingly a silhouette. As he neared the figure, he saw the long hair cascading down its shoulders, the seemingly regal posture. He knew this figure anywhere. It was Zelda's.

 **GUYS IM SO SORRY FOR MY DISAPPEARANCE. I've been busy with school and stuff. Also, I've been kinda in a writers block so I've had ZERO inspiration whatsoever but I'm BACK! Sorry this chapter was EXTREMELY short but like I said, not much inspiration. I'm hoping to write AND upload another one tonight too. THANKS FOR BEING PATIENT WITH ME- Vixen, WHO DISAPPEARED AGAIN OOPS**


	6. Meeting

**HEY GUYS. ITS ME. IM HERE. AND I PROBABLY WONT BE ANSWERING REVIEWS BECAUSE I WANT TO PUBLISH THIS AS. SOON. AS. POSSIBLE. OKAY. ANYWAY. ON WITH THE STORY.**

 _Chapter VI: Meeting_

To Zelda's disappointment, Link did not answer the door. However, curiously, Aryll did.

"Aryll?" Zelda stared at her friend, her tone surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Aryll laughed. "I live here!"

Zelda gaped at her. "But... but this is Link's house!" Aryll couldn't be his sister... could she?

Aryll burst into a fit of giggles. "It took you that long to realize I'm his sister?" Zelda stared at her in disbelief. There was no _way_ the bubbly, outgoing girl in front of her was related to shy, introverted Link.

"Well, I can assume that since you didn't know I live here, you're looking for my brother." Zelda nodded. "He's not home."

"Where is he?" Zelda desperately wanted to speak to him.

Aryll shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't take his horse, so I don't think he went _far_. The farthest he ever goes without Epona is Lake Hylia, but..." She trailed off.

"Who's Epona?" Zelda asked Aryll.

"Link's horse. He's had her since he was ten. He loves her a lot." Zelda nodded.

Zelda decided she was going to find Link. She was _going_ to speak with him, whether it was at his house or on the other side of Hyrule.

"I have to go. Bye, Aryll."

"Bye, Zelda. I'll see you at school." And with that, Aryll closed the door, and Zelda headed in the direction of Lake Hylia.

As Zelda walked along the Beaten Path, the sky giving way to night, she saw a silhouette duck behind a boulder. Curious, Zelda took a few cautious steps toward the boulder.

"Who's there?" she whispered. No answer.

"I know someone's there." She raised her voice slightly, taking another step closer.

"Zelda?" The voice was quiet, but Zelda recognized it immediately. "What are you doing here?"

Zelda snorted sarcastically. "Looking for you." Her arms were crossed over her chest. "Why are you hiding?"

"I thought... you were... never mind." Zelda could tell he was embarrassed.

"Sorry if I scared you." she smiled apologetically. "But to be fair, you scared _me_ , jumping behind that rock like that." She stretched out her arm to help him up. Link stared at it blankly for a moment before grasping her hand with his own. As she pulled him up, she could see that his face was glowing red.

"W-why were you looking for me, a-anyway?" Link asked.

"I thought we were friends? Can't a friend go visit her friend once in a while?" Zelda was a bit hurt.

"O-of course! I-I just didn't think you would w-want me as a friend..." Link sighed.

Zelda's slightly teasing expression was replaced by a hurt one. "Oh... I didn't know you felt that way. It's fine. I'll go." As she turned to leave, she realized she was still holding on to his hand. Her face flushed red with embarrassment.

To her surprise, Link tightened his grasp on her hand.

"No," he whispered. "Don't go." Zelda stared at him.

"Good." She smiled. "I didn't want to, anyway." Link released her grip on her hand hesitantly, as if he feared she would run away if he let go.

"Do you want to... go to Central Park?" Link's voice was so quiet, she almost missed his question.

Zelda smiled sadly. "My father will worry if I am not home soon. But we can go for a bit, if you'd like to."

Link smiled, his shoulders drooping in relief.

"Yeah," he said. "I would."

 **AWE LOOK. THAT MADE ME SO HAPPY TO WRITE. AWE. I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED THIS AS MUCH AS I DID- Vixen, who wrote this chapter as an apology for disappearing**


	7. Night Out

**OKOKOK, I MIGHT AND I MIGHT NOT ANSWER REVIEWS IN THIS, YOULL FIND OUT LATER. ANYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYWAY, I'm prettyyyyy new to the game BotW so I JUST went to Eventide Island (it's in Faron, you can get there from Lurelin Village) and the ISLAND TOOK MY STUFF so I was NOT prepared and I had to go to my last save rip :') Anyway, before we get to the chapter I want to answer some reviews**

 **PandaDawgBE: ahjdjsksn thank youuuu**

 **SheikahSlate7: thank you!**

 **ANYWAY. CHAPTER:**

 _Chapter VII: Night Out_

Link could not believe this. He could actually not believe it. _Zelda Bosphoramus_ , of all people, told him she wanted to be his friend. Now, he walked side-by-side with her, occasionally sneaking quick glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking. The redness in his cheeks had finally died down, and he hoped he would be able to have a normal conversation with the girl without turning into a flustered mess.

Zelda's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "We're here," she announced, turning to look at him. Link scanned his gaze around Central Park. It was mostly empty now, since the sun had finally dipped below the trees and the full moon was shining brightly in the starlit sky. The only people left were a few Gerudo from the fishing tournament and some Hylians from his school.

Great Plateau Tower stood in the center of the park. Zelda smiled mischievously.

"I'll race you!" she shouted, and ran off in the direction of the tower. Link chuckled and ran after her. He almost would have completely missed the tower if it weren't for Zelda jumping up and down and screaming 'I win!' extremely loudly.

"No fair!" said Link, out of breath. "You got a head start."

Zelda shrugged. "I still won!" Then a look of sadness spread across her face.

"Oh!" she sounded upset.

Link stared at her. "What?"

"I guess I should be going now. It's getting late. My father will worry." Zelda sighed sadly.

Link checked the time on his phone. 8:02 P.M.

"Yeah, it is," said Link. "I'll... see you tomorrow?"

Zelda smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, Link watched Zelda walk off in the direction of her house. He stared at her disappearing figure. _She_ wanted to be his friend. Link could barely contain his happiness as he walked back to his own house, preparing for endless teasing from Aryll.

xXx

Link threw open the door and slumped down onto the leather couch. Aryll, his sister, was sitting in the recliner across from him. She she turned her gaze up from her phone, which she had been scrolling through.

"How was your date?" she asked teasingly, smirking at him. Link rolled his eyes.

"Shut up." Link glared at her. "It wasn't a _date_." Aryll chuckled.

"Oh no, I'm _sure_ it wasn't." Her voice was rich with sarcasm. Link sighed.

"Whatever. Just don't tell Zelda what you said, okay?" Link trusted Aryll with anything, but when it came to Zelda? He feared she'd expose him someday.

"You think I would? I'm not _that_ mean," she said, her tone serious.

Link shrugged. "Thanks, I guess." Aryll laughed, glancing back down at her phone, indicating the end of the conversation. Link sighed and rose from the couch, trudging up the stairs to his bedroom.

His bedroom was small. It held a carefully crafted wooden desk, which had been polished and refurbished from the time of the Resurrected Hero. Link kept it rather neat–it held his notebook and a few pencils in a jar. His bed stood in the corner, made from the same Korok wood as his desk. Opposite his bed was his television and several gaming consoles, along with a small bookcase that held his collection of video games.

Link flopped down on his bed, tossing his phone to the side. He stared at the ceiling, wishing Zelda hadn't gone so soon. He hoped he'd be able to see her again tomorrow. She'd seemed genuinely interested in being his friend, after all.

A sharp knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

"Link, I'm coming in!" Aryll announced, throwing open the door. "What are you doing?"

"What's it _look_ like I'm doing?" Link snapped. He didn't want company right now.

Aryll rolled her eyes. "Mom told me to tell you dinner's ready," she said in an unamused tone. Link jumped from his bed, realizing how hungry he was.

"Okay, I'll be downstairs in a second." Link sat upright on the edge of his bed. He rose to his feet and followed Aryll downstairs. By the time he got down, Aryll was already sitting at the table. Link took his usual seat next to her, flashing a pleading look at her, as if silently begging her not to tell their parents about Zelda. He'd never hear the end of it if she did.

Aryll offered him a small smile, assuring him she wouldn't. Link smiled gratefully at her. He was silent for most of dinner, apart from answering his mother's attempts to get him to speak with dry, generic replies.

As soon as he finished his food, he excused himself and went back up to his bedroom. No sooner had he closed his eyes did he hear Aryll opening the door gently.

"Link?" she whispered, stepping in and closing the door behind her. Link opened one eye.

Aryll sat at the edge of the bed next to him. "Why are you mad?"

"I'm not," Link replied dryly. "I'm annoyed."

Aryll rolled her eyes, clearly not satisfied with his answer. "Why?" Her voice had a hint of annoyance.

Link glared at her. _Honestly,_ he thought. _Sometimes she is so ignorant._

"I... don't want to talk about it." There. She'd _have_ to leave him alone now.

To his surprise, it worked.

Aryll shrugged. "Fine," she said, getting up from the bed and walking out of the room, shutting the door behind her once more, leaving Link to stare at the ceiling in silence once more. This time, though, he let his thoughts wander to the red Zora he'd encountered that day on the Bridge of Hylia.

Link wondered how far she'd made it into the competition. He genuinely wanted her to win, and, being a Zora, she had a pretty good chance. He wondered how long she'd be staying. He wondered if he could meet her again.

Again, his thoughts were dragged back to the blonde Hylian he never seemed to get a break from. Zelda. Always Zelda. He wished she hadn't left so soon. His face heated as he recalled the feeling of her fingers closing around his hand as she helped him up from behind the rock. His heart had skipped a beat then.

Link shook himself out of his trance and wondered if he should go apologize to Aryll for being so snappy. He lingered on his bed for a moment, deciding he'd do that tomorrow. And with that, he lay down once more and let sleep consume him.

 **A/N: ok, that one was longer than what I usually write but maybe that's 'cause I wrote half of it while listening to Wii plaza music guys I actually have no life. I was a bit reluctant to post this at first because I thought it was dumb but I like it so I'm posting it. ALSO, I'm aware it's never mentioned that Link has a sister in BotW but I like the idea of Link having a twin sister. Also if I'm correct Aryll was younger than Link in Wind Waker but I liked the idea of him having a twin sister. And finally in this version (I would've addressed this sooner but I forgot) Sidon isn't THAT much younger than Mipha. BUT ANYWAY, please review and tell me what you think!- Vixen, who has been presented with the nostalgia of the Wii music**


	8. Sleepless

**A/N: ITS SNOWING GUYS ITS A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!!**

 _Chapter VIII: Sleepless_

Zelda sat in her bedroom silently. It was past midnight. All the lights were still on in her bedroom, despite her father having come in multiple times to remind her that she had school the next day.

Zelda's bedroom was something of elegance. It was painted the same pale blue as the house's exterior, and it was quite large. Her bed, which was carved from ebony wood, was queen sized and had various decorative pillows of different sizes and shapes. An ebony desk stood in the corner next to her bed, which was centered against the wall. Her laptop, which was the latest Sheikah model, sat on her desk, charging. Her nightstand was also carved from ebony, and it had a stained glass lamp that depicted the ancient Triforce.

A pale blue rug was draped over her hardwood floor, and a black-and-white mandala tapestry hung just above her bed's headboard. Her dresser, which was ebony as well, had a large oval mirror adorned with fairy lights around it. There were three drawers which held her clothes. A pale blue armchair was next to it. Finally, her ebony wardrobe stood directly across from her desk, holding whatever clothes didn't fit in her dresser.

Zelda sighed and picked up her phone, which had been resting on her nightstand. She texted Makeela a quick "you still up?", doubting she'd answer. She would be tired, traveling three hours from the Gerudo Desert to Central Hyrule. No answer. Zelda expected as much. She placed her phone back on her nightstand and rolled over onto her side.

She couldn't get Link out of her mind since she'd left Central Park earlier that night. She enjoyed being with him, even if their meeting was short. Her mind was then, for maybe the millionth time, brought back to when she helped him up. His face had been extremely red.

 _Could it be_ , she thought, _that Link wishes to be... more than friends?_

 _No, Zelda,_ she scolded herself. _He probably just isn't used to talking to girls. I haven't really seen him talk to anyone aside from his sister._

But, even after chasing the thought away multiple times, it still always lingered. And, as much as she denied it to herself, she didn't really mind it.

xXx

The next morning, Zelda buried her face in her pillow, a vain attempt to block out the sound of her alarm. She groaned and reach for the button to shut it off, lifting her head up off the pillow. She went to her dresser and picked up a blue tunic with Hylian embroideries on it and a pair of black leggings. She ran a comb through her messy hair and styled it into a crown braid, leaving most of it to flow down her shoulders.

"Good morning, father," she greeted him. Her father, Rhoam Bosphoramus, was head of the Council. The monarchy that had always lead Hyrule had ended with the destruction of Hyrule Castle, though the Royal Bloodline still existed. No one but the Goddess knew who carried her Bloodline now, though.

"Good morning, Zelda." Her father was sitting at the dining room table, a mug of coffee in his hand. Zelda picked up a croissant off the plate on the table and grabbed her bag.

"I'm going to school, father, and you should be going to work soon." Zelda often had to remind him, since he was busy enough dealing with all of Hyrule's problems. He nodded and got up from his seat. Zelda put on her a pair of black boots and headed out the door.

The sun had begun to rise as Zelda made her way to the horse stalls. Demeter was drinking water from her almost empty dish. Zelda turned the handle of the faucet and waited patiently for the dish to refill before moving on to refill Demeter's food trough. She went around the back of the stall to where she kept the hay bales and returned with enough hay to fill the trough. Demeter snorted happily.

Zelda opened the door that connected the stall to the small pasture where she left Demeter during the day. She rubbed her horse's mane, and with that, started the route to her school.

She decided she'd stop at Link's house, instead of taking her usual path to Lana's. She glanced at the house she'd just passed, which was home to two adorable Rito children and a kind Rito woman. She'd seen the children often, in the woods near her house, with three other Rito children. They were a girl and a boy, named Aviana and Timothy.

She almost missed Link's house, preoccupied watching two red Zora, a girl and a boy, make their way toward Lake Hylia. She'd never seen them in Castle Town—they must be new.

Zelda knocked on Link's door. This time, Link answered it, instead of Aryll.

"Z-Zelda!" He sounded surprised to see her, but this time, didn't ask her why she was there. Zelda smiled.

"Do you want to walk with me again?" Zelda asked. His face lit up.

"Sure!" he replied. "Aryll's not with me though. She takes the bus to school."

"It's fine." Zelda smiled, glad she would be able to spend more time with Link. Link smiled back. Zelda held his gaze for a moment before a voice tore it away.

"Zelda?" It was Lana.

"Lana, what are you doing here? You never take the long way." To tell the truth, Zelda was a bit irritated that Lana was here. She was hoping she'd get to speak to Link alone and get him to break out of his shell a bit more.

Lana ignored her question. "Who's your friend?" She nodded in Link's direction.

"That's Link, Aryll's brother," she answered. Lana nodded.

"Hi, Link." She smiled. Link gave her a small wave. Lana waved back. They walked mostly in silence the rest of the way.

As they reached the school, Lana spotted her friend, Tetra. She smiled apologetically at Zelda.

"Gotta go, bye, Zel!" And with that, Lana rushed over to her friend. Zelda sighed in relief. No more awkward silence. She turned to Link.

"That was my friend Lana. I guess you could say she's my best Hylian friend, but she's closer to that other girl, Tetra." She nodded to the blonde Hylian who was now chatting happily with Lana. Link nodded, his expression knowing.

"But it's okay," Zelda assured him. "I still have Makeela... and you." She smiled at him. Link's face turned slightly red. This made Zelda smile even more.

 _But wait..._ Link hadn't blushed when Lana had spoken to him. _Could this really mean... that he wishes to be ,ore than friends?_

And you know what? Zelda didn't mind that at all.

 **OK. hi. So anyway I was on Pinterest and I was looking at some vvv cute zelink stuff so that kinda gave me inspiration to write this chapter. Also:**

 **-Central Tower perished with Hyrule Castle. The "Central Hyrule" region is now part of the Great Plateau which means Castle Town is around that area, as is Central Park**

 **-I really liked Lana as a character and I thought she'd be the kind of person to be friends with Zelda but kinda... not, if you know what I mean**

 **SO, PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. IF YOU THINK THIS STORY IS TRASH, TELL ME**


	9. The Princess’ Knight

**A/N: GUYS WHY YALL SO SWEET I CANT AHHHH**

 **Reviews:**

 **Lilyanna32: thank you sm for calling it cute bc cute zelink stuff is what I live for**

 **James Birdsong: thankssss**

 **PandaDawgBE: AHHSGSHSKS THANK YOU SMMM**

 **Guest: omg thank you so much, I'm glad this story is good so far**

 **SCREAMING SCREAMING SCREAMING THANKS GUYSSS. You can't grow a Silent Princess in domestication soooo I won THAT debate but whatever, on with the storyyyy**

 _Chapter IX: The Princess' Knight_

Link held Zelda's gaze. He could easily get lost in her gorgeous green eyes. However, the bell signaling the start of the day tore it away. He had barely noticed that they'd reached the school.

He and Zelda had their first class together. History. He himself hardly cared for that class, but after learning that it was Zelda's favorite, his opinion had changed _drastically._ He put his things away in his locker and rushed to meet Zelda by hers. She wasn't there.

Link ran to the History classroom, thinking maybe she'd already gone there. She wasn't there either. Link sat down in his seat, confused. Conveniently enough, he was seated next to Lana, who Zelda had previously introduced him to.

He tapped her shoulder. She'd been talking to the girl next to her. "Where's Zelda?" he asked.

She gave a quick shrug in return and continued talking to the girl. Link glanced around the room once more. Still he couldn't see her. He turned around, and as if on cue, the door burst open and in walked Zelda and a Gerudo girl.

Zelda handed the teacher a late pass and took her seat in the front of the room. The Gerudo reluctantly sat next to her and placed her things on the desk.

"This is... different to Miss Ashai's class," Link heard her whisper, to which Zelda giggled and smiled apologetically. He eyed the Gerudo curiously. This must be the girl he'd seen Zelda with at Central Park the day before. Was this someone she'd met when she'd left for six months to be an exchange student in Gerudo City?

Link rested his chin on the palm of his hand and yawned as the teacher began the lesson, addressing the class.

"We have a new student today," she announced, smiling. "She's from Gerudo City. Miss Riju, would you like to introduce yourself to the class?"

The Gerudo stood up timidly, and in a quiet voice, said "I-I'm Makeela Riju, I'm from Gerudo City and I... I'm not used to being around _voe._ " She quickly sat down again.

The teacher smiled kindly at her. "Would you like to tell the class what _voe_ means in the Gerudo language?" Makeela's face was flushed.

"Well, uh... voe means man. Vai means woman," she explained, this time not getting up from her seat. She then leaned over and whispered something to Zelda, who smiled sympathetically at her. She looked cute when she smiled like that. Link caught himself staring and looked away just as Zelda turned in Link's direction. She stage-whispered something to Lana, which Link completely missed in his attempt to pretend that he hadn't been mindlessly staring at her.

"Hey, Zelda's friend, she didn't catch you!" someone hissed next to him. It was Lana.

Link's felt his face heat up. "W-What do you mean?" He turned to Lana, who was now looking at him with a smug grin.

"Don't act like I didn't catch you staring at Zelda, 'cause you made it pretty obvious," she said.

"I wasn't staring!" Link exclaimed, a bit louder than necessary. He wasn't about to let this girl know how he really felt about Zelda.

"You know you were," came her response. "I won't tell her, but eventually you're gonna have to man up and tell her yourself."

"Tell her what?" That he'd been staring at her? No way was Zelda ever going to find out about _that._

"Don't play dumb. You know good and well what." Her words hit Link hard. He did. But he didn't ever want to _tell_ Zelda; he knew she would never feel the same. Lana sighed exasperatedly and turned back around.

"Let's get started." The teacher's voice snapped Link out of his thoughts. "Now, as you all know, Hyrule was under the rule of a king and queen. Can anybody tell me who the king was during the Great Calamity?"

Zelda's hand shot up immediately.

"Yes, Zelda?"

"King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. My father was named after him."

"Very good, Zelda. And, coincidentally enough, the king's daughter was Princess Zelda Hyrule, which brings us into the nest part of our lesson. Not much is known about Princess Zelda. During her reign as queen, she chose a husband, though no one knows for sure who she chose. Some say she chose the suitor she disliked the least, while others say it was her appointed knight.

"The knight, of course, was silent. He spoke only to the princess before the Great Calamity." Link shuddered at the words. For some inexplicable reason, hearing about the Calamity always gave him a bad feeling, as though he'd experienced it firsthand, though he hadn't been alive for it. It had been many years ago, after all.

"The princess was, of course, able to unlock her sealing power after years of intense training at the three Great Springs, but not before her appointed knight fell at the hands of a corrupted Guardian. He was resurrected, and one hundred years later awoke in a place called the Shrine of Resurrection.

"He then went on a great many journeys to free the spirits of the Champions; Princess Mipha of the Zora, Lord Daruk of the Gorons, Lady Urbosa of the Gerudo, and Revali of the Rito. Now, the Champions—yes, Layra?"

The Hylian girl, Layra, who looked to be from Lurelin, snickered. "How come Revali didn't get a title?"

"No one really knows," the teacher replied. "Anyway, as I was saying, the Champions each piloted their own Divine Beasts; huge, advanced weapons that required a pilot. Princess Mipha piloted Divine Beast Vah Ruta, Lord Daruk piloted Divine Beast Vah Rudania, Lady Urbosa piloted Divine Beast Vah Naboris, and Revali piloted Divine Beast Vah Medoh. They all died in their fight against Calamity Ganon. The Divine Beasts have long been inactive, but they still stand in their respective places from when they took aim at Calamity Ganon during the Hylian Champion's fight against Calamity Ganon.

Makeela, the Gerudo, raised her hand hesitantly. "I've seen Divine Beast Vah Naboris in person. It's near Wasteland Tower in the Gerudo Highlands," she said timidly. The teacher nodded.

The bell rang suddenly, signaling the end of the class.

"We'll talk about the Sheikah Tribe and the Yiga Clan tomorrow. Class dismissed!"

Link gathered his things and stood up, rushing to meet Zelda on the way out.

Zelda turned around suddenly and faced him. "Oh!" She giggled. "Hi! Link, I want to introduce you to my best friend, Makeela." She motioned to the Gerudo, who was standing awkwardly behind her. "Makeela, this is Link, my, uh, other friend."

Makeela stared at him, her eyes wide. "Hi." Her voice was barely audible.

A look of concern spread across Zelda's face. "Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed, placing her hand on Makeela's shoulder. Makeela's face was pale.

"I'm sorry! It's nothing personal, Link, it's just that she's not used to being around boys," Zelda explained. "In Gerudo City, it's an old tradition that men aren't allowed within the city walls."

"Oh, I can go, if you want." Link turned to Makeela.

"No, y-you don't have to. I-It will help me, being around voe," Makeela said. Link nodded. Zelda smiled.

"Here's my class," said Link, motioning to the doorway they had just reached. "Bye."

Zelda waved at him. "See you later!"

xXx

The rest of the day was a blur. He was relieved when the final bell rang, and he rushed to the door to meet Zelda. She was standing there, waiting for him. A smile spread across her face as he reached her. Link felt his face heat up, as it always did when she smiled at him.

"Ready?" she asked. Link nodded, and they began the route to their houses. Link lived about five minutes away from Zelda, and he usually cut through the woods to get to his house. This time, though, as he began to walk away from Zelda's house, she stopped him.

"Do you want to stay?" she asked him. "You can meet my horse."

Link could hardly believe it. Zelda had asked him to stay over. He shook his head yes vigorously.

Zelda smiled. "Come on!" she exclaimed, dragging Link by the arm to a small enclosure. In this enclosure was a beautiful pure white horse.

"This is Demeter," she said, rubbing the horse's mane gently. "I've had her for about a year and a half."

"She's pretty," said Link, not taking his eyes off the horse.

"Thanks." He could hear the smile in Zelda's voice, and he turned around to see it. "She has to eat."

Zelda turned to the horse and led her by the reigns to a set of stalls, though the only occupied one was Demeter's. The horse turned to her food and began eating, and Zelda gently shut the stall door.

"She's in the pasture during the day," Zelda explained, motioning to the small enclosure. "So she doesn't get bored." Link nodded. They stood there in silence for a moment, watching Demeter eat, until Zelda broke it.

"Want to see my cuccos?" she asked. Link had cuccos as well, four of them.

"Sure." He followed Zelda to a coop and a small, fenced-in area. She had eight cuccos in total. Some of them were inside the coop, while others were in the area with the fence, which the coop was connected to. It was much like Demeter's enclosure.

Zelda picked one of the cuccos up. "This is my favorite one," she told him. "Her name's Dawn." She gently stroked the cuccos feathers a few times before giving a final pat on the head and setting it back down. Link smiled. He enjoyed hearing Zelda talk. He enjoyed spending time with her.

Zelda got up and dusted her pants off. She turned to face Link. "I have a dog, too," she said, smiling. "Her name is Naydra, like the Great Spirit of Wisdom. I chose Naydra because I have one of Naydra's scales. I got it on Mount Lanayru, when I went there with my father."

She had one of Naydra's scales. Naydra, like Farosh, was long asleep somewhere within Mount Lanayru, so she would have had to find it in the Spring of Wisdom, which still existed on the top of the mountain.

"How did you get it?" he asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Oh, I got it from the Spring of Wisdom," she told him. "I was looking around the Spring and I saw something shiny, so I picked it up and my father told me it's Naydra's scale. I can show it to you, if you want." Link nodded, captivated. He couldn't believe that Zelda had an item of such value—years ago, the Hero of the Wild had used the scale to unlock the Jitan Sa'mi Shrine at the Spring of Wisdom.

Zelda led him into her house and up the stairs to her bedroom. She picked up a jar that had broken geode pieces, and, on top of them, the shiny white scale of Naydra. Link stared at it in awe.

"Pretty, right?" Zelda's voice pulled him from his trance.

"Yeah," said Link absentmindedly. "I just... can't believe you have it."

"It was just kind of lodged in tiles at the bottom of the Spring," she said, shrugging. "I don't really believe I found it either. I would've expected someone else to find it before me."

"I wish the Spirits were still awake," he said, facing Zelda. "I would've really liked to see Farosh."

"Me too." Zelda sighed and sat at the edge of her bed, resting her head on her chin. "But I guess a scale is the closest I'll ever be to seeing Naydra."

"At least you _have_ a scale," Link said. "I've never even been to the Spring of Courage."

Zelda smiled at him, meeting his gaze warmly. Link felt his face heat up slightly. "You should go!" she exclaimed. "And besides, I'm sure the Spring of Courage isn't the only place you can find Farosh's scale. There might be scales at Lake Hylia."

Link nodded. "You're right. But... I really want to _see_ Farosh."

Zelda snorted. "Well, _that's_ probably not going to happen anytime soon." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "If only the princess' Sheikah slate still worked... we could see pictures in the compendium."

"Sheikah slate?" Link asked, a puzzled look spreading across his face. Zelda laughed.

"You really _don't_ pay attention in history, do you?" Link gave her a look of mock hurt. "Anyway, the Sheikah slate was this piece of ancient technology that the princess used to document everything. There was a map of Hyrule on it, and there was a photo album and compendium, where she stored pictures of important things and places. There were runes, too; the Camera rune, for her pictures, the Magnesis rune, which she could use to pick up metal items, the Cryonis rune, which she could use to make pillars of ice from the water, the Stasis rune, which she could use to freeze objects in time, and the Remote Bomb rune, which had two bombs, one square and one round, which she could use to, uh, blow things up." Link nodded. He didn't know ancient technology could be so... advanced.

"It's actually really cool," Zelda said, smiling. "I'm taking a course separate from school on ancient Sheikah technology, like the slate and Guardians and the Divine Beasts. I've been to a few towers, too; Great Plateau Tower, Lake Tower, Faron Tower and Lanayru Tower, and I've been able to see the Guidance Stones. Of course, they're inactive now, but the Hero of the Wild used them to gain maps of that area."

Link smiled. She clearly was interested in all of this. Then Zelda did something Link had never seen her do, at least around him. She blushed.

"I'm sorry, I talk a lot, don't I?" She laughed awkwardly, the redness in her cheeks intensifying. This, of course, prompted Link to blush.

"No, it's fine, really!" he exclaimed, hoping to rid them of their awkwardness. "I... I rather like hearing you talk, actually," he added quietly. Zelda heard him, though. The way her eyes softened and he face broke into a genuine smile told him that she'd heard him. Looking at her now, her cheeks a soft shade of red and her gaze locked onto his, for a moment, Link dare thought she felt the same about him as he did about her.

 _Stop thinking like that_ , he scolded himself. _You're only going to get your heart broken._

"Thanks," she said. "Really. All my friends ever want to talk about are gossip and boys. They'd make fun of me if I ever brought up Sheikah tech." Her expression turned sad.

Link sighed. He never knew that being as popular as her could be like that. But, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

Zelda got up and began to walk out of the bedroom. "Come on, we can go see my dog," she said. Link followed her.

Zelda led him down the stairs again, then into a small room with various dog toys on the ground. There was a chewed-up bone and a dog bed in one corner, and in another a small flap that led outside the house.

"Naydra!" Zelda called. A large white dog came bounding through the flap. It sniffed around Link curiously. Link put his hand out. Naydra sniffed it. She butted her head against his hand and Link scratched behind her ears.

"She's so cute!" Link exclaimed, turning to look at Zelda. She smiled.

"I got her when she was a puppy," she said. "She means the world to me." She gazed at the dog lovingly.

"I was wondering," said Zelda suddenly. "If you wanted to go to Lake Hylia for a bit. I know it's kind of far, but you and I both have horses, so we'll be able to get there fairly quickly, and we can watch the national fishing tournament. I missed the first race yesterday."

"Sure." Link smiled. "I saw the race yesterday before we went to Central Park, and I met one of the Zora from the tournament there."

"Really? Was it Mei?" asked Zelda.

Link shook his head. "No, her name was Mipha," he told her. Zelda nodded.

"Ah. Introduce me, if we see her. I'll introduce you to Mei and Aliyah."

"Mei? Aliyah?" Link asked, confused. He knew Mei must have been a Zora—Zelda had asked if the Zora he'd met was Mei—but Aliyah? Was she a Gerudo, like Makeela?

"Mei is a Zora. Aliyah's a Hylian, from Lurelin," she explained. "I met Mei when I was in Lanayru. I went down to the Zora River and she was there, fishing. And Aliyah? She and I go way back. My father and her father both work on the Council, and I've known her since I was very young. She pushed me into the ocean when we were at the cargo boat." Zelda chuckled at the memory.

"You know a lot of people," he said, impressed. Zelda laughed.

"I do a lot of traveling. I want to visit all the races of Hyrule someday. So far I've met Sheikah, Zora, and Gerudo," she said. Without waiting for Link to say anything else, she turned and began walking out of the room.

"We have to go now, if we want to get there in time for the tournament," she told him. "Bye, Naydra." Link followed Zelda out, happy that he would be able to spend the rest of the day at Lake Hylia with Zelda. He followed her to Demeter's stall, where she opened a door and strapped a purple saddle and bridle trimmed with gold onto the horse.

"Do you want to pick up your horse?" she asked Link. "Or do you want to walk?"

Link snorted. "I think I'd like to pick up my horse, thanks," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching up in a smirk. Zelda rolled her eyes playfully.

As they neared Link's house, he turned to Zelda. "I have to tell my mom that I'm taking Epona out so she doesn't freak and call the police like she did last time I left without telling her," he said, laughing at the memory. He remembered it clearly; he'd gone to Lake Hylia earlier that summer without telling his mother or Aryll. His mother had gone outside to feed Epona and Melody, Aryll's horse. When she didn't see Epona in her stall, she immediately called the police and said that someone had stolen Epona. The police had found Link and Epona at Lake Hylia and demanded he return the horse, despite his complaints that it was his horse. He eventually led the police to his house, and things did not go well with his mother after that.

Zelda laughed too. He liked her laugh. He likes the way it sounded, and the way her eyes lit up when she laughed. He was glad he was able to make her laugh.

Link would have missed his house had Zelda not touched his forearm gently to indicate that they had arrived. He quickly ran into his house, hoping he wouldn't run into Aryll, but there was no such luck.

"Home already?" came his sister's voice from the living room. Link sighed.

"No," he said. "Where's Mom?" Aryll simply pointed up the stares, not looking up from her phone. She never did.

Link bolted up the stairs. "Mom?" She was in her bedroom, changing the sheets on her bed.

She didn't look up from her work. "Yes, Link?"

"Zelda and I are going to Lake Hylia," he told her. "I'm taking Epona."

His mother nodded. "Who's Zelda?" she asked.

Link could feel his face heat up. He wasn't about to tell his mother that Zelda was the girl he'd been in love with for almost a year.

"My, uh... my best friend," he said. He supposed she _was_ his best friend—she was the only person who really _wanted_ to talk to him, aside from Aryll. But was he her best friend? No, she'd mentioned Makeela and Lana and Aliyah. He didn't care, though—she at least saw him as a friend. It was better than nothing.

Link's mother looked thoughtful for a moment. "Okay," she finally said. "Have fun."

"Thanks." With that, Link bolted back down the stairs and out to the stalls, where Zelda was standing. She had Demeter's reins in one hand, and she was stroking Epona's mane with the other.

"Is this Epona?" she asked when she neared Link.

"Yes," he said, opening the gate to her stall and strapping on her saddle and bridle. He mounted the horse and waited for Zelda to mount Demeter before setting off. He checked the time. 5:33 P.M. The tournament started at six. They would make it in enough time.

"I'll introduce you to Mei and Aliyah when the competition's over." Zelda told him. "I would suggest not standing near the lake while talking to Aliyah. She's, uh... she gets her enjoyment by pushing people in." Zelda laughed. So did Link.

They went the rest of the way in comfortable silence. Though Link enjoyed the silence, part of him wanted to hear Zelda talk. He decided not to initiate a conversation, though he occasionally glanced at Zelda when he thought she wasn't looking. In the name of Farore, why couldn't he just abandon his little crush on her and just be her friend? It wasn't like they'd ever be anything more than that, anyway.

 **A/N: ok I tried to make that one longer and I think that's good enough. Sorry for the dumb ending though. Next one will be better but it's Splatfest day today and like... no offense but y'all this ain't ranked battle, y'all don't need to be running to the middle of the stage because the rainmaker. Is. Not. There. I hope we still win though even though I like Marina better than Pearl but ugly socks are ewwww. Whatever. Please REVIEW, and pleaseeee check out my other story that's coming out soon, Red and Blue! BYEEEEE- Vixen, who chose Team Ugly Sweaters for her Splatfest team**


	10. an since it’s been almost a year

hey it's sofía. uhhh i'm big stupid and i forgot about this story lmao, i really enjoyed writing it a lot. however, i don't think i want to continue it. i'm really not feeling it. sorry for not updating in a year, i suck lmao. i left y'all on a cliffhanger. maybe i'll rewrite this sometime, who knows. i'd really like to see how it ends as much as y'all probably did. idk if anyone's still waiting for my updates. i never got to finish i'm with you, that was like my favorite story i was reading. i beat botw while i was gone. i'm still upset i never got to finish writing this. i'll rewrite this, a new modern botw zelink au, from the ground up remade. i miss this story. if anyone's still here, i hope you forgive me and i hope you look out for the new from the ground up. it's been almost a year, i'm not updating this anymore. i love y'all. thanks for reading, i'm sorry for this messy a/n but i'm mostly sorry for not updating. pls forgive me idk. ilysm.


	11. another an

hey idk if anyone's still here but i wanted to let u guys know that as soon as my state mandated exams are over i WILL be rewriting this story !! i really love it a lot and i've gotten back into playing breath of the wild so i've gotten back into the characters as well and i would like to restart from the ground up. i'm also gonna write another au so that's in my plans, hopefully u guys are still here and are still interested in this story !! thank u for reading if u did !!


	12. ANOTHER an lmao

hi thank u everyone for the nice reviews !! i'm currently on april vacation as of today so hopefully this week i can start the rewrite, i'm really excited to write it. again i'm sorry for the long wait, thank u to everyone who is still here lmao. the rewrite will come soon i promise !!


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